Ask HN: Teaching kids how to think? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: Teaching kids how to think?

#21

Post by AnxietyBytes » Wed, Sep 30, 2020, 3:29 PM UTC

andi999 wrote: post #20

I believe you should ban 'because I say so' as an answer. I dont know if it is good or harmful, but I generally say if I dont know an answer and if I know it is a question the answer nobody in the world knows, I will say this as well.

This. I remember my parents using this excuse all the time when I was a kid and it felt like such a cop-out. There is an answer for everything, even if it is "I don't know" or "nobody knows". I despise "because I said so" now and my wife and I don't use that phrase with our 5 year old, we always try to find the best answer to his endless list of questions.

Re: Ask HN: Teaching kids how to think?

#22

Post by tmaly » Wed, Sep 30, 2020, 3:33 PM UTC

ChicagoBoy11 wrote: post #15

I had the pleasure to spend a few years with an incredibly creative family, in all domains (family unit consisted of nobel prize winner, renowned academics, award winning authors, artists), and the one thing which always stood out to me was how they had such a deep culture of rewarding curiosity, thinking, and exploration. I have no idea how conscious it was on the family's part, but it seemed like everyone in that f…

I agree, I think there is something important about cultivating curiosity.

This whole question got started in my mind after recently reading the book A Mathematician's Lament.

The comparison in the book is along the lines of memorizing methods and facts verse exploring ideas with the mind.

It's this idea of pursuing anything interesting just for the sake of it.

Re: Ask HN: Teaching kids how to think?

#23

Post by biophysboy » Wed, Sep 30, 2020, 3:36 PM UTC

Kids really love silly. I think this is key to getting them to think.

For example, with my very young niece, I would tell her nonsense stories, where there's a purple lion on the back of the turtle, etc. Keeping track of this weird story kept her gears spinning.

Other times I would tease her and say that my name was her name, or that blue was purple. I would try to mimic her voice, or draw out syllables in a funny way. The net result is hilarious conversations where she is explaining very carefully why I am not her, and why colors are different.

Basically, keeping things fun is useful for everyone, but even more for kids.

Re: Ask HN: Teaching kids how to think?

#24

Post by sundarurfriend » Wed, Sep 30, 2020, 3:43 PM UTC

A similar question came up on the Less Wrong forums recently (more specifically focused on rational/critical thinking and scientific experimentation): https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/yF6FLgWnRdKMYpm9g/rationalit...

Re: Ask HN: Teaching kids how to think?

#25

Post by hosh » Wed, Sep 30, 2020, 3:50 PM UTC

The ideas I had been studying these days come from Carol Sandford. I am not sure how to summerize her work. In the case of developing a person’s (be they children, teens, or adult) capabilities, it comes in a couple ways:

1. First, linking intrinsic motivation with something meaningfully contributes to something outside of them. The catch? This is something the person chooses for themselves, based on what Sandford calls “essence”. Rewards and incentives are still external. Whatever is chosen may be beyond the child’s current capability.

2. A framework (a way of seeing the world and self) is given so that the child can grow his own capability in order to accomplish what he set out to contribute. Those things like observation, problem solving, critical thinking, systems thinking are developed by the child, and driven by the child’s intrinsic motivation.

There is a lot more to that, and I am still learning and applying this myself.

Something like this does not require a child to have genius level iq.

Re: Ask HN: Teaching kids how to think?

#26

Post by animationwill » Wed, Sep 30, 2020, 3:51 PM UTC

tmaly wrote: post #22

ChicagoBoy11 wrote: post #15

I had the pleasure to spend a few years with an incredibly creative family, in all domains (family unit consisted of nobel prize winner, renowned academics, award winning authors, artists), and the one thing which always stood out to me was how they had such a deep culture of rewarding curiosity, thinking, and exploration. I have no idea how conscious it was on the family's part, but it seemed like everyone in that f…

I agree, I think there is something important about cultivating curiosity. This whole question got started in my mind after recently reading the book A Mathematician's Lament. The comparison in the book is along the lines of memorizing methods and facts verse exploring ideas with the mind. It's this idea of pursuing anything interesting just for the sake of it.

I've watched several lectures on the subject. Teaching isn't learning, and some of the best teachers rather motivate children to learn on their own through internal or external motivation

Could you elaborate on the insight you learned from "A mathematican's lament"?

Re: Ask HN: Teaching kids how to think?

#27

Post by tmaly » Wed, Sep 30, 2020, 3:52 PM UTC

MichaelAO wrote: post #8

Core knowledge. Create an environment that encourages a love of reading as soon as possible and help them develop core knowledge about the world around them. This includes both language and facts/concepts about everything from ancient history to the solar system. Domain-specific background knowledge is incredibly important. It turns out (for the most part) there are no general purpose cognitive skills... it's all dom…

I have a 7 year old in school now. The homework is pretty generic. There is not much in the way of domain-specific knowledge.

We do some activities at home. Chemistry, electronics, scratch programming. Stuff that is not taught in schools.

I use to live in radio shack as a kid. Putting together circuits was thrilling.

Re: Ask HN: Teaching kids how to think?

#28

Post by glitchc » Wed, Sep 30, 2020, 3:53 PM UTC

ChicagoBoy11 wrote: post #15

I had the pleasure to spend a few years with an incredibly creative family, in all domains (family unit consisted of nobel prize winner, renowned academics, award winning authors, artists), and the one thing which always stood out to me was how they had such a deep culture of rewarding curiosity, thinking, and exploration. I have no idea how conscious it was on the family's part, but it seemed like everyone in that f…

Wow that's lovely. How does one work around the stresses of daily life to replicate that?

Re: Ask HN: Teaching kids how to think?

#29

Post by andi999 » Wed, Sep 30, 2020, 3:58 PM UTC

circlefavshape wrote: post #11

tboyd47 wrote: post #2

Show them by example how to be skeptical without accusing people of lying, and mention often the many reasons why people say things that might not be completely true. Also, you need to make sure you yourself don't lie to them. A lot of parents still teach their kids to believe in Santa Claus. I know this is one of those cultural sacred cows, but I strongly think this should not be done. Kids need to be able to trust…

I don't agree about Santa Claus fwiw. This is culture-specific, but here (Ireland) he's an integral part of Christmas, and of the excitement about Christmas that kids experience. Santa Claus is the only lie I've ever consciously told my kids. By doing so I've given them access to a great deal of joy and fun, both individual and communal. Should I have deprived them of that because I wanted be absolutely consistent, o…

No easter bunny for your kids?

Re: Ask HN: Teaching kids how to think?

#30

Post by Jun8 » Wed, Sep 30, 2020, 3:58 PM UTC

To exercise pure thinking skills and empathy (as opposed to STEM, etc.) a great approach is to discuss philosophical/moral problems with the, treating their opinion seriously. A good book to use is: The Pig That Wants To Be Eaten”, but any example from daily life or movies can be used.